An ancient settlement of Sayod is a new point on the archeological map of Tajikistan.
An archeological dig at the site of the ancient settlement of Sayod in Jomi district of Khatlon province is going on. The settlement is dated to the Kushan era.
The archeological dig is being carried out in the area of 2 hectares. Archeologists discovered fortresses, dwelling premises and coins dating back to the periods of reign of Vima Kadphises and Kanishka.
Tajik archeologists suppose that the Sayod settlement was founded in the 1st century BC and the period of prosperity of this settlement had been during the reign of Soter Megas.
The settlement was reportedly considered one of the important economic and cultural centers in the Vakhsh Valley during the Kushan Period.
For 400 years, until 410 AD, the Kushan Empire was a major power in the region along with the Roman Empire, the Parthian Empire and the Han Empire (China). Notable contact was made with local peoples when the envoys of the Han Dynasty journeyed to this area in the 2nd century BC. At the end of the Kushan period, the Empire became much smaller and would have to defend itself from the powerful Sassanid Empire that replaced the Parthian Empire. The famous Kushan king Kanishka promoted Buddhism and during this time Buddhism was exported from Central Asia to China.
